


There Is Only One Happiness in Life: To Love, and to Be Loved

by upsteadheart



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:41:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29430423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/upsteadheart/pseuds/upsteadheart
Summary: Disgustingly-fluffy and tad bit emotional first Valentines’ Day for Upstead.
Relationships: Jay Halstead & Hailey Upton, Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton
Comments: 1
Kudos: 47





	There Is Only One Happiness in Life: To Love, and to Be Loved

By the time five o’clock finally came around, the members of the intelligence unit were positively exhausted after a long day of running down leads, chasing after suspects, interrogations that went on for far too long and post-case paperwork that had their hands practically falling off.

Coming out of the interrogation room with Voight, Hailey pulled her gun from the safe, securing it back on her waist, and then moved back into the bullpen, back over to her desk.

Jay’s head snapped up in her direction, raising a brow in question. “Full confession.” She answered him silent question, a relieved smile expanding across her features.

“That’s my girl.” Jay beamed proudly, their hands connecting in a solid high-five.

Hailey dumped the case files towards the center of her desk, then sat on the edge of it, trying to catch a well-deserved breath.

“Jay.” She caught his attention, hesitation in her voice. “I know it’s Valentines’ Day, and on any other night we’d probably get all dressed up and head to a really nice restaurant for dinner.

But after the day we’ve had, honestly, all that I want is just a quiet night at home with you.” Hailey told her boyfriend, hoping he wouldn’t be too disappointed.

To her surprise, his lips turned into a small grin, his eyes bright as diamonds. “What?” She asked him, completely lost as to why telling him that would have him looking so happy.

“Let’s go home, Hails.” Jay took her by the hand.

And of course, by home he meant her place. The two had very gradually been spending more and more time at Hailey’s apartment, ever since starting to talk about how moving in together there was a financially smarter plan than getting a new place together.

They both grabbed their jackets from the backs of their chairs, before Hailey let herself be led out of the bullpen for the night.

“Night, guys.” Jay threw in Kevin and Adam’s direction, on their way down. “Night.” “Drive safe.” They returned.

“Jay, would you please tell me why you look like a five-year-old on Christmas –” and before she could finish her sentence, she unlocked the door to the apartment, stepping in first and answering her own question with the sight in front of her,

“ – morning…” She dropped, taking it all in.

The lights all turned off and the apartment lit only by the candles spread out throughout various parts of the living area. A large blood red sheet on the ground, with two massive thick white pillows holding it down straight.

A bottle of wine sat cooling in an ice bucket, surrounded by a couple bouquets of white roses, her favourites. Between the two pillows sat a pizza box with the familiar logo from Bartoli’s on top of it and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries beside it.

Hailey turned back around and look at her boyfriend, completely shell-shocked at the current scene in her apartment.

“You did this?” She managed through the short tears building up in her eyes. “Well. I did this with help from a third-party.

Of course, I was at work with you all day, so I couldn’t be here to set this all up. Today’s Will’s day off, so, I cashed in a favour and had him help me do all this so it would be waiting for us when we got home.” Something in both of their chests fluttered as he called it their home.

Hailey shook her head at this perfect man before her. She ditched her jacket, tossing it onto the couch. And cupped his face in both hands, kissing him softly.

Jay smiled into her lips, holding both of her hips and pulling her in closer. Hailey’s arms wrapped around his neck, deepening the kiss.

Hailey pulled back half an inch, leaning her forehead against his. “I don’t know where I found you… or how in the hell I got so lucky to be yours.” She rambled.

Jay pulled his head up, planting a soft kiss against her forehead. “I don’t need expensive public restaurants to bleed me dry, or some over-the-top gift to tell you that I love you, Hails. I’d rather just look into your eyes and tell you myself.

A quiet night in with you sounds way better than anything else we could’ve thought up for tonight.” He told her, tucking a stray strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear.

A thought popped into her head. “Pour the wine. I’ll be back in just a sec.” Hailey stepped away down the hall and into her bedroom.

Jay meanwhile, took the time to properly hang up their coats and leave his boots by the door. Then stepped back into the living room, popped the cork on the champagne bottle Will had picked up, and poured a glass for them.

Hearing Hailey stepped out of the room and back down the hall, Jay looked up and nearly dropped the glass in his hand at the sight of her.

Hair now let down from the confines of the ponytail she’d had it in all day, her blonde curls sitting on her shoulders and bouncing with every step she took.

Her black jeans and tee-shirt swapped out for a red lace nightie that accentuated every inch of her that Jay loved most.

Seeing the vision that was his girlfriend, no girl on any catwalk in the world could ever measure up to her. She’d put them all to shame in a flash.

“Since it is just us.” Hailey brought up as she padded back over to him. She took the bottle and glass from his hands, depositing it back down on the sheet, then took him by the hand, bringing them down onto the ideally placed cushions, laying on their sides, face to face.

Jay popped open the pizza box between them, revealing the message scribbled across the inside of the top.

Will You Be My Valentine? Or Is That Too Cheesy?

Hailey laughed as she read the message, smiling at her boyfriend’s familiar handwriting. For a guy, Jay had a beautiful penmanship. She’d noticed that from the very beginning of their partnership, whenever they filled out paperwork together.

“Not too cheesy. And yes, of course. There’s nobody on earth whose valentine I would rather be.” Hailey told him, leaning in to peck his lips once more, before digging in.

–

Once the two of them finished dinner, Jay retrieved the chocolate covered strawberries he’d put in the fridge after showing them to Hailey, so they wouldn’t melt before they were reading to eat them.

When Jay put the plate between them, Hailey felt her heart clench at the sight.

“You got them cored and the stems cut off.” Hailey dropped, seeing that these were very obviously not made by Jay himself and purchased from someone who made and sold high quality chocolate dipped strawberries.

But only Jay knew that she hated having to cut off stems and take the centers she called ‘guts’ from the strawberries before she ate them.

Clearly whoever Jay had gotten to make these for her, he’d gotten them personally customized to her preference, and it only made her love him more for it.

“Nothing but the best for my girl.” Jay told her, bringing a strawberry up to her mouth. Hailey leaned her head in and bit the end of it, letting the chocolate and the juicy fruit dance together on her tongue.

“Mm…” She moaned at the heavenly taste. “Oh.” Jay laughed. “You got a little…” He gestured to the corner of his mouth, finding a spot of chocolate on hers.

“Here., I got it.” Jay leaned in and kissed her, taking the speck of melted goodness with it. “There, all gone.” He smiled at his handiwork.

Hailey rolled her eyes and shook her head, fighting a smile. “You so did that just to kiss me.” She accused.

“So, what if I did? You’re not exactly the hardest person to kiss, Hails.” Jay told his girlfriend.

She laughed at his antics. It felt good to be with someone for the first time in her life who could make her laugh and let loose like this when they were alone together.

Someone who could take her mind away from work and chasing after bad guys all day and enjoy the little things life had to offer, like falling in love.

“While you finish those, I wanna give you your present.” Jay rose from the floor, heading to where he’d hid the gift from her the last few weeks.

“Oh gosh, it’s probably way better than what I got you.” Hailey dropped. “We’re not that couple, Hails. Anything from you is worth the world.” Jay assured her, dropping a kiss to her forehead on his way up.

They both split off momentarily to retrieve their gifts from their respective hiding places, then rejoined on the couch to exchange them.

“You first.” Hailey decided, placing his behind her for the time being. “Alright.” Jay agreed easily enough, placing the rectangular-shaped present in her lap.

Hailey tore off the shiny red wrapping paper and pulled out the brown box it held. Flipping off the lid, she put it aside and reached into the box, pulling out a black canvas, trying to figure out what all was on it.

“A few months ago, on that stakeout after we’d just starting dating, you asked me when things changed for me and when I started to see you as more than just a partner.

I told you at the time that I didn’t know. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since, trying to figure out exactly when it was. And then it dawned on me.” Hailey listened to him with rapt attention.

“We got closer and closer over time, started trusting each other more, talking to each other about things we never talk to anyone else about… and progressively, I began to develop feelings I didn’t quite have the words to describe and also wasn’t sure whether or not I was ready to go down that path again after being hurt so badly the last time.

But, that night we were getting beers at Cork and Kerry, and you got a text from Adam. I told you you should go. When it was the last thing I wanted.

What I wanted to do, was tell you that I was stupid to wait that long, and sit on those feelings without telling you. Waiting long enough for you to find someone else. I didn’t know at the time if what you had was just a fling, or if it was gonna turn into something more.

Just knew at the time that I’d blown my chance. But ultimately, like I told you in the observation room that day. We’re always gonna be good. As long as you’re happy, that’s all I care about, even if it isn’t because of me that you are.” Jay expressed, opening up in ways Hailey knew was rare for the detective.

“When you got back home from your stint in New York, I knew it was time to stop messing around if I didn’t wanna lose you forever. But I still didn’t… quite know how to tell you.

Then you beat me to the punch. Told me that night that you didn’t wanna take the job, cause you wanted to stay here, with me.

I kissed you that night, and said more in those twenty seconds than I could ever manage verbally. But it doesn’t mean that was any less meaningful or sincere.” Jay expressed.

“So. This,” he held the canvas, making Hailey looked back down at the frame in her hands, “is a constellation map of that night at Cork and Kerry, how the stars were aligned in the sky that night when our stars aligned.” He explained to her, a warm smile on his features.

Hailey looked up at him, her eyes instantly filling with tears at this insanely thoughtful gift in her hands. “Jay…” She dropped, before putting the poster aside for a second, kissing her boyfriend passionately.

“Babe, this is incredible. I love this so much.” Jay pressed a kiss against her temple and hugged her tightly in his arms.

A sigh escaped her. “Alright, so now for a gigantic step down into what I got you.” Jay clicked his tongue at her, as she handed him the palm-sized wrapped gift.

“I’m sure it’s amazing.” He told her, started to peel back the paper. Discarding of the wrapping and leaving it in a little pile with the pieces Hailey had unwrapped of her own, he revealed what looked like a ring box.

He looked at her briefly, then flicked open the box, revealing two rings side by side. One very clearly feminine-looking, way too small to fit his finger, and a second one that was much more masculine looking, which would very easily be swimming on Hailey’s finger.

“Hails? What is this, babe?” Jay asked her, not quite sure what to make of the rings.

She covered his hand with hers, their fingers threading. “I’m a difficult person.” Hailey told him. Jay attempted to cut her off, but she stopped him.

“I know. You tell me a hundred times a day that I’m not, that you wouldn’t have me any other way. But I know who I am, Jay.

I’m closed off, keep my emotions and feelings pressed down, almost never say what’s on my mind unless you reach into my throat and pull it out yourself, and even then, sometimes I’ll dodge it.

I make you chase me, and I’ve been making you chase me since the day we met. I’m not a relationship girl. I spook at the very sight of commitment and giving even the slightest bit of myself to anyone, because I’ve gotten burnt every time I’ve ever trusted someone and let them in.

But beyond all that, and underneath all of that, here are the straight facts.

“I love you, more than I have ever loved anybody else. You make me feel a special kind of safe and protected where I don’t have to keep my walls up tall and strong because you are my wall.

I can come home from work, shut my mind off for the night or for the weekend and just be here with you. And that’s not something I’ve ever had in my life before.

I have never had a relationship I wanted to make work. Somebody I wanted to be with and couldn’t stand not to be with.

This is not a proposal, and these aren’t engagement rings.” Hailey released a soft chuckle, making Jay share a laugh.

“The only reason they’re a little more expensive is because we both have incredibly fair and sensitive skin, and I didn’t want them turning either of our hands green, so I splurged a little on quality.

What these rings are, is a promise. My promise to you, that no matter how crazy I get sometimes, or how heavily my triggers and insecurities can affect me… I’m yours, Jay.

My heart belongs to you, and it always will. And as long as these rings sit on both of our fingers, you can rest 100% assured that that is the case and will remain as such until the day I take it off, and you replace it with an engagement ring when the time comes.” Hailey finally stopped, looking up at her boyfriend, waiting for some kind of a reaction.

Now it was his turn to start feeling his eyes go damp. Jay reached out a hand and cupped her chin. “You’re pretty incredible, you know that?” He got a tad choked.

Seeing the tears well up in his baby blues, made her entire heart squeeze.

Jay plucked the smaller ring from the box and lifted Hailey’s hand in his, slipping the ring onto her slender middle digit. “And I promise you all the same things.” He told her sincerely.

Hailey took the other ring, and did the same, placing the ring on Jay’s finger. The two of them looked down at the matching set, side by side and beamed at the sight.

Jay wrapped his arms around Hailey’s waist, laying back against the arm of the couch, and bringing her down into his arms, hugging her close.

“Happy Valentine’s, Jay-Jay.” Jay smiled into her hairline. “Happy Valentine’s, Hails. I love you, angel.” He breathed to her. “I love you too.” She whispered back.

“I love you most.” Jay returned. “Oh, great. This again.” They both laughed.


End file.
